Retreat slipmats "Homeis where the turntable is"

2x slipmats silk screen print
Colour:r mango
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Your favourite vinyl-only label kicks off its 2012 discography with another episode of the Treats saga! If the previous volume were associated with straightup dancefloor goodies, Number 4 is more focused on musicianship as Session Victim, The Hints (Quarion & Jules Etienne) and Iron Curtis & Leaves pick up the instruments to compose 3 songs drenched in Funk and Soul with an undeniable 21st century House feeling! Fresh off their acclaimed The Haunted House Of House album, Session Victim fire up the ep with something that seldom occurs nowadays: the cover of a modern Dance classic! Originally released on Deeply Rooted House by the enigmatic Rootstrax, Harlequin has already achieved mythical status thanks to its amazing bassline. Clocking in at almost eight minutes, svm's version is a proper Funk workout that begins with rhodes chords, percussion, guitar melodies and saxophone licks over a long yet exciting intro. But as soon as the live bassline kicks in, you know that it's game over and that people with or without true dancing skills will sweat it out on the floor! Add to that an enigmatic vocal, some rhodes and sax riffs coming at every turn as well as a few chord changes and this piece really is the closest Session Victim have ever been to sound like a proper band. Wow! … More

track name
A1 Session Victim - Good Intentions
Nebraska Soho Samba Mix

B1 Iron Curtis & Leaves - A & F
Session Victim 612 Remix

B2 Session Victim - Black Cream
Quarion’s White Smoke Remix

Seven years and five volumes of »Treats« down the line, Retreat flips the script in 2016 and introduces a brand new remix series (cheekily) entitled »Re-Treats«! With Nebraska, Session Victim and Quarion reworking stables fromthe RTR back catalogue, »Re-Treats Vol.1« is a brilliant showcase of the art of the remix as each artist comes up with a truly personal take on the original material.

RTR18 starts in high fashion with digger extraordinaire Nebraska tackling the label’s most famous track so far, »Good Intentions« from Session Victim. It’s merely impossible to rework a bonafide modern classic but the english producer manages this task with ease and stays close to the original by breaking down the main loop into a one bar groove with super crisp beats. This would already suffice as the core for a powerful track but the real action begins after a short break: Nebraska brings the original four bar loop back at the forefront while adding a wicked samba twist to it! And as the kick comes back in, you can help but dance with your arms in the air and a big smile on your face. The »Soho Samba Mix« is an irresistible tune with that unmistakable »London« flair, not to mention a proper dancefloor anthem in its own right!

Turn the record over for Session Victim’s take on »A & F« from Iron Curtis & Leaves. It will only take a few bars for you to feel that you’re in for a special ride with the one and only »Two Man House Band« at the commands. Matthias’ and Hauke’s version of »A & F« is much more a cover than a traditional remix as SVM add percussion, layers of juicy synths, loose drum fills and quirky samples over the original chords and vocals. There are shades of Jazz, Soul, Reggae and even a bit of Pop in the »612 Remix« but the vibe is 100 % Session Victim. The lads really excel in sun-drenched grooves and this remix is bound to become another staple in their dynamic live set for this summer’s festival season.

If the previous two reworks manage to somewhat stay close to the original material, then Quarion’s version of »Black Cream« takes an alternative route and propels Session Victim’s track into another dimension. Constructed around a tough beat and an hypnotic synth, the »White Smoke Remix« is thrusted by a powerful bassline and flying hi-hats that evolve in rapid succession. Parts of the original (a vocal here, a guitar there) are being fragmented to molecular level and clash with each other at light speed, as if Quarion managed to run these elements through the CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. It’s a dense, yet fluid remix and a thrilling conclusion to this first volume of »Re-Treats«.


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track name : A1 Summer Games , B1 Black Cream , B2 Finderlohn

After last month’s »Busted Moniker« EP from Quarion, Retreat is thrilled to announce a new 12" courtesy of house music’s most energetic duo, the incomparable Session Victim! The aptly titled »Two Man House Band EP« is the lads’ first record since their 2014 magnum Opus »See You When You Get There« and perfectly transcribes the energy that Session Victim pour into their incendiary live show. Tailormade for a night out in the club or a joyous day at the festival, the »Two Man House Band EP« once again prooves that Session Victim are unstoppable in their pursuit of the ultimate groove!

»Summer Games« is an ode to that most festive of seasons and could easily hold the claim of being Retreat’s »biggest« track so far. Built around an Hypnotic organ loop, »SummerGames« completely blurs the lines between house, funk and soul : rolling breakbeats, catchy vocal snippets and a very groovy bassline are the core elements of this anthem that could rock any party. Yet Session Victim add a slight twist in the form of a melancholic string motive that appears in two chiseled breakdowns. It’s a little reminder that summers do not last forever and that one should enjoy them while they last ...

Flip the record in order to dive into the deeper realms of »Black Cream«, a more reflective track for the late hours. With its jazzy (almost broken) beat, guitar licks, rhodes pads, subtle percussion and ethereal vocals, »Black Cream« is the soundtrack to an exciting underwater trip with Matthias and Hauke at the controls. Thanks to the captains’ lively drum programming, the track flows effortlessly and we’re treated with many surprises along the way before a gradual rise brings us back to the surface.

»Finderlohn« is a smokey downtempo workout which finds Session Victim digging deep in their collection to demonstrate their prowess in manipulating samples. Beginning with an instanly classic guitar and piano loop, »Finderlohn« allows a shuffly breakbeat to take center stage, sometimes reinforced with double-time hihats for a more dramatic effect. The tune is definitely a headnodder’s paradise and the listener is taken that little bit higher thanks to a mystical flute solo that concludes »Finderlohn« in a psychedelic way.


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track name
A1 Lost Coordinates , A2 A Thousand Questions , B1 Burnin’ , B2 You Were The Only

FFinally putting to rest a one-year break, Retreat is back in full swing in order to bring more heat this summer thanks to the "Busted Moniker EP" from Quarion! With four tracks that showcase a jazzier, somewhat wilder side of the Retreat co-founder, "Busted Moniker" has the stamp of a producer on top of his game, squeezing out all of the funk from his machines and letting loose without too much over-thinking. Can you handle it?
The ambient introduction "Lost Coordinates" represents a direct follow-up to Quarion's offering on the "Treats Vol.5" Compilation. Built around a circular four note theme, white noise percussion and a distant choir, "Lost Coordinates" evokes a ghost spaceship that is drifting through the void, his destination unknown and his point of origin long forgotten.
The bumpy house beat of "A Thousand Questions" teleports us back to a more familiar territory: this is proper club music with a sweet jazzy touch. Not holding back on his skills as a musician, Quarion treats us with a Rhodes bassline, deep piano chords and many drum fills. The tune moves along nicely and just when you think it couldn't get any better, Quarion surprises us with a break that introduces energetic Juno stabs and a booming new bassline. Slick!
"Burnin'" is maybe the EPs hottest track (all puns intended) and is sure to light fires on dancefloors all over. Beginning with a deep bassline atop a shuffled beat, the groove becomes irresistible as soon as the cheeky vocal samples arrive, but it's the entrance of an infectious and offbeat Rhodes loop that is sure to make the dancers go crazy. As the track gets stronger, the theme breaks down in descending chords and we're left with just the kick drum and a percussive noise. The loop soon emerges anew from the background now coupled with a phased cymbal for one more everlasting burn... Ouch!
"You Were The Only" is the EP's conclusion, a jazzy Broken Beat workout reminiscent of what came out of West London at the turn of the millennium. Starting with a catchy synth, the track truly opens up when the additional sub bass and skippy Juno chords come into play, but the real magic happens after a short break. The bassline evolves into an 8-bar sequence with beautiful chords to match and we're instantly taken on a jazz journey with sprinkling keys, ethereal strings and more Juno stabs. A perfect finish to a very juicy EP!
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Retreat slipmats "Homeis where the turntable is"

2x slipmats silk screen print
Colour:r mango
More

Releasedate 18.8.2014
Artist/track name
A1 Jamie Lloyd/Spiro Hustle A2 Session Victim/Much Too Strong A3 Johannes Albert/Co Co Jam Boo B1 Reverend G/Pam’s Cleavage B2 Kim Brown/I Am Batman C1 Quarion/Enter Coordinates C2 Mr Beatnick/Hold On To Your Dreams D1 Iron Curtis/Love Commitment D2 Robert Oh/Blush
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Rounding up a year which saw crucial releases from Iron Curtis and Quarion, "Can't Help It" is the long awaited return of sample wizards Session Victim to the ep format. This Retreat 3-tracker is a profound, subtle and quite melancholic affair, perfect for those emotional moments in the early morning. Skillfully arranged and featuring the impeccable playing of Linnart Ebel, "Can't Help It" is once again an essential statement from one of House Music's most fascinating duo. "Pass The Diesel" begins with a stuttering beat, seagulllike noises and muted chords that wouldn't be out of place on a vintage Group Home instrumental. Staying on the aquatic tip, Session Victim introduce a beautiful rhodes sequence which takes the track into a dream-like - dare we say californian? - direction. Spiced up with gentle synth noodlings, ethereal vocal snippets and a magical strings motive, "Pass The Diesel" bathes in the deeper shades of House without ever drowning in a cliché, thanks to its snapping drums and vivid arrangement. Slowing things down a notch, "Hyuwee" starts off with what is maybe the most unconventional instrument in Session Victim's repertoire, the banjo! But the fear of witnessing these down-to-earth-boys actually becoming the boys-down-south vanishes after 30 seconds: a melancholic 3-Chord theme, snappy 808 patterns and funky drum fills lead the tune in a familiar (but vast) territory. Linnart Ebel's talent is put to great use with subtle guitar licks that give a lively feel to the whole song. You will notice that Session Victim have labeled "Hyuwee" as an "instrumental". More

After the well-received "Treats Vol.4", Retreat closes its 2012 chapter with a fantastic 4-tracker from House maestro Iron Curtis! Following his accomplished debut album on Mirau, "Glazing " is a highly versatile EP which sees the producer breaking new ground. More

Retreat celebrates its first double-digit release with something out of the ordinary: an ep from Session Victim’s Matthias Reiling that blends House, Hip-Hop and UK Bass music in a very unique way. After two highly praised albums on Giegling, the Hamburg – based producer further develops his musical persona with the help of dusty samples, bouncy beats, tense atmospheres and a strong cinematic feel. More

Is there a better way to introduce a label than by releasing 2 exclusive tracks from its founders? Quarion and Session Victim (featuring Hauke Freer) show what RETREAT stands for with this pancake-hot split EP!" More

More than a year after his last EP, Quarion returns to Retreat for a fantastic expedition: a journey to the "Moons around Jupiter". Consisting of four tracks dedicated to the four Galilean satellites, "Moons around Jupiter" is a sonic masterpiece that blurs the lines between House, Techno,
Broken Beat and Disco. A certain Detroit mystique (the futurism & outer space themes) also surrounds thismesmerizing ep which Quarion himself ranks as possibly his best work to date … come and take a ride! We may share the ultimate bond with the moon Europa: the presumption of oceans underneath its crust of ice as well as an atmosphere that is mostly filled with oxygen make this satellite a good candidate for possible extra-terrestrial life (more micro-organisms than 3-eyed aliens though). Quarion's "Europa" hopes to reveal the secrets underneath the ice layer: beginning with a skippy beat and
a tinkling piano, the track evolves rapidly as subtle keys and a cosmic choir appear from beyond. .. More

We're thrilled to welcome Iron Curtis as a new character in the retreat saga! Hailing from Nuernberg but now based in Berlin, Mr. Curtis is known for his contemporary take on the classic Chicago House sound and has been making waves for the past two years with quality releases on Mirau, Morris Audio, Mule Electronic and Jackoff. However, we strongly believe that Iron Curtis is presenting a different aspect of his personality with "Stumbled Across", an EP that ventures in weirder territories with the help of Hip-Hop, dubstep and techno influences. A definitive statement froma blossoming producer who brings the element of surprise back to the dancefloor More

After their hot contributions for Treats Vol. 2, session victim
prove indeed that they are On The Roll with a funkafied
and no holds barred EP that pays homage to their Hip-Hop
Roots. Move Me So starts rather simply, with just a guitar
and a vocal, but you can hear a moving bassline and
distant rhodes chords creeping up from the background.
Two minutes into the track and there’s still no kick drum,
although the level of excitement produced by the magnetic
groove is almost unbearable. A filtered drum break finally
gives way to a four to the floor beat that should turn any
dancefloor into a frenetic party. The track builds with high
energy, as the pounding bassline seems to be directly
lifted from an early 90’s Hip-Hop classic. The breakdown
sees the vocal/guitar loop being played differently until the
second part shifts gear and brings more surprises in the
mix with the intro rhodes chords coming in and out. … More

One year old and four releases deep, RETREAT present
its first 2010 offering with the long awaited second volume
of the "Treats" series. Featuring 3 exclusive tracks from
Session Victim and Quarion, "Treats vol.2" showcases the
producers' ability to move beyond the traditional House
sound, incorporating more Soul and Disco influences as
well as coming up with a few surprises! SESSION VICTIM
start things off with the magical "Danish Daughters", a slow
groover that begins in a gentle but assured way, sparking
your interest with its infectious guitar and piano loop until
the beat kicks in and makes you irrepressibly shake that
thang. Adding a synth line here or a bell sound there, the
duo keep the pace of the track steady until a startling guitar
riff breaks it down, giving way to the original loop to return
in its full glory, complete with extra organ dashes! More

Just in time to conclude a bittersweet summer (at least in
Berlin), Retreat brings the heat with a soulful EP from one of
his founders, hotshot producer Quarion. As the name implies,
Dusty Fingers sees the beatmaker return to his Hip-Hop roots
and dig in the crates for a sample-based deep & dirty 3
tracker!
Quarion was last seen circling around Venus and we hope he
won't be More

big with: Ripperton (Perspectiv), Mr
Scruff (Ninja Tune), Soultourist
(Drumpoet), Audio Werner (Hartchef),
Langenberg (Dessous), Julius Steinhof
(Smallville), ND Baumecker (Pbar),
Nathan Mclay (Future Classic),…
+ DEBUG CHARTS # 3
Welcome to the second chapter of the Retreat saga!
"Contribute" was just a teaser for SESSION VICTIM so
with "Out On Love”, Hauke Freer and Matthias Reiling
show their true potential through 3 tracks of undiluted
funkiness. The first track on the EP starts off quite simply
but your excitement builds as promising chords and a
Detroit-style acid-synth give you an idea where "Memory
Lane" is heading. After a dramatic break that features a
notorious groove legend proclaiming that he's "out on
love", the chords reveal their full potential and the track
rolls into a major floor filler, complete with tight drum
patterns, extra sub bass and some more vocal snippets.
Yes! Flip the record and the beat of "Calypso Strut"
introduces a mysterious pad, decorated with wild
percussion and playful cut-up samples. 2 minutes in and
the pad morphs into a drunken piano that propels the track
into another dimension. More